FutureSight
by Van the Key of Lain
Summary: (formallyDay)Upon walking home, Helga discovers something weird in an ally Dumpster. She planned to use it on Lila, but it backfires on her and Arnold. A/H will ensure. Rating may go up. Hope you like!ChAP 3 UP!
1. Day

Hello. This is my first Hey Arnold! Fiction attempt. It's got a lot of cool stuff, and some out-landish stuff, but hopefully you guys will like it. Romance of course and some futuristic stuff too. 

Disclaimer: Hey Arnold doesn't belong to me. 'Doi.' 

(Chapter) 1: Day

The ally was dark and lifeless. Hardly any light was able to penetrate deep enough into the ally from the adjacent street lamp. The ground was cold and damp from the previous rain shower. A shadow figure tiptoed into the ally and near the half-hidden Dumpster. Within a few moments, a bright light flashed blue and engulfed the figure. Again, all was silent. It seemed the earth stood still at that moment, before it began to rain again. Rain was now a constant thing these days. A little bit later, the sound of running footsteps could be heard. In the distance, a boy no older than nine was running down the street. He splashed through a few water puddles along the road as he ran, and soon tripped. 

" Nnn..." 

His golden hued hair seemed almost brown due to the rain. He rang it out a bit and brushed it back, so it naturally fell behind his oddly shaped head. He wiped away some blood from a small cut he had on his check and staggering, got up. As soon as he did, he heard footsteps behind him. She had run after him. The boy started running again just as she came into view.

" Wait! Stop it!"

" Just leave me alone!" The boy yelled. Tears were forming in his eyes, but he pushed them back. He was not a sissy. He didn't cry.

" Stop running away! You always do this! I'm sorry just stop running A-."

" KIERESO!" 

The girl stopped in her tracks. The boy fading away as he continued to run. She knew what he had just said. It was a Japanese word their best friend had taught them. She knew what it meant, but never would she have expected him to yell it to her; After all, it meant 'Damn you.' The girl didn't care she was getting wet. She just stood there. Her blonde hair was undergoing the same treatment as the boy's and her outfit was getting soaked, but she didn't care. She felt part of her hurt inside so badly. Why had she done what she did? 

" Please come back. . ." she began to cry. Her blue sapphire eyes becoming red. 

" I'm so sorry. . Aaron. Please come back my brother."

The girl turned and walked back, crying a bit more until she arrived home. Her mother and father where already waiting outside for them. She ran into her mother's arms and cried. 

" Another day of boring school. Another day of neglect. Another day of my miserable life." Helga G. Pataki walked out of her house and towards her bus stop. She got to her stop and greeted her best friend Phoebe.

" Hey Pheebs."

" Ohayo, Helga. That means good morning."

Helga inwardly smiled at her friend. Phoebe was a very caring individual, and was never selfish to be kind. 

" Cool." She said quietly.

The bus came after a few moments of silence and the two girls got on and went to their usual seat. After a few more moments, and a few more stops, Arnold and Gerald got on. 

' Ok, so my life isn't that miserable.' Helga thought as she stared at her beloved.

The day had gone by slow at first, but started to pick up after recess. Mr. Simmons had told them of an activity they'd be doing in a couple of days. They would start out in-groups of two, then merge to four. As always, Arnold was paired with Helga, much to her delight and his disdain. Their group would then merge with Gerald and Phoebe's group, luckily. Before Helga knew it, she was up and heading towards the bus. 

' Alright, time for a little ingenuity.'

Helga found a good seat on the bus and as Phoebe came over, she told her to sit in front of her. 

"Uh, ok Helga."

"Well, you could get Hair Boy to sit with you and talk about your plans."

Phoebe blushed slightly. After a few moments, Gerald and Arnold made it on the bus. As they walked to the back, Phoebe perked up.

" Uh, Gerald, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind collaborating with me a design of our enterprise?"

Arnold looked to his friend in silence as Gerald smirked.

" Plan an idea on our project?" He looked to Arnold who nodded.

"Sure thing." Gerald smiled and sat next to Phoebe. 

' That went well, for him. He's hanging around Phoebe too much.'

Arnold smiled. It was amusing to know that Phoebe could be so smart and intellectually higher in academics, and funny how _almost_ no one understood her complicated speech. Arnold turned his attention to where he'd sit now. Again, to his unease, the only available spot was next to Helga. 

" Well, well, well. If it isn't Football-Head." Helga threw her pun.

" Hi Helga." Arnold said as he sat down. 

" Yet another project and I get paired with _you_." 

Helga grimaced inwardly. That sounded a lot harsher than she thought it would have, but quickly got to her point before he could speak.

" Helga I-"

" Hold up, Arnoldo, this time I'm doing the talking first. Listen," she breathed out slowly. " I'm going to be nice. Yeah, you heard me right, and you know I can be when I want. I'm going to try and get along with you on this, okay?"

" Well, that's pleasant to hear."

Helga wondered it that was sarcasm or sincerity. 

" All right."

The bus was coming to her stop so she began to get up.

" See ya later, Arnold."

Arnold didn't hear her at first, he had been looking over at Lila after his and Helga's little truce. 

" Yo, Football-Head!"

"Oh! Uh, bye Helga."

She rolled her eyes at the blond. 

" Yeah, yeah."

Phoebe also bid her farewells to Gerald and soon joined her friend off the bus. The bus went on and the two of them talked until they reached Phoebe's house. 

"Well, with the way your talking Pheebs, I'd say you and Geroldo got it made."

"Yes, well, his enthusiasm was inspiring."

"Goodnight Pheebs."

" Night Helga."

The blonde girl walked home alone. Her thoughts the only thing to keep her company. 

' Oh my beloved, how can you still swoon over that burden in our lives. The countless times she's hurt you with rejection, playing with your heart, tearing your soul.. .'

Her thoughts were momentarily ceased when she saw a blue flash coming from within an ally. Helga, creep towards the source of the light, trying to be as quiet as possible.

A man who looked in his early 30's wearing a white lab coat was holding a rather questionable looking object. He look like he'd been sleep deprived and on the verge of literally going insane. Every so often Helga heard the man mumble phrases like ' Mustn't let them get this,' ' Gotta get rid of it,' and even ' Can't let them find me.' Helga was glued to the spot. Fear, curiousness, wonders, all the emotions she could have were racing through her. Who was this lunatic? The she saw him throw the object into the Dumpster next to where he was standing. He started playing with his watch after that and after moments of rocking, he dissipated into a shattering of blue light. Helga did a double take.

" No WAY did that just happen."

'Am I going crazy?!'

However, curiosity got the better of her. After moments of waiting, she tiptoed over to the Dumpster and look in it. Fishing around for a few moments, her fingers glided over the object. Something metal. She picked it up out of the filth and pulled it into view. 

"What is this, some type of gun?"

It was about the size of a Desert Eagle. It was a bluish color with a weird barrel. The handle didn't have a trigger, but a lot of buttons and a number pad. There was even a latch to another compartment. When open, it had a small LED screen. It read: DP/2023/R with another tiny keypad. This one contained specialized buttons with letters like DP, DISP, RN, RP, DES, and others. Helga had no idea what she was getting into. 

"Well this outta be interesting. Hmm..."

She hit the SET button. A flash erased the previous filled LED screen and read: Enter Command: 

" Uh, I guess this one." She hit DP.

Another flash and then: Enter Year:

"Year? You mean those numbers were a year?!"

She pondered this. It had said 2023. Did that mean this was from the future. How crazy!

"Ok, I'll just fill it back the way it was." She entered 2023.

Target Command: 

"R."

The moment she hit 'r,' the thing began to make all sorts of noises, like a computer booting. Then she heard a chipper beeping. She closed the little compartment and looked on the outside back. The first LED screen was reading: Scanning frequency . . .

"What tha-?"

Enter Target Command and Lock Target:

Frantically, Helga hit the OFF button and held it away from her. Unfortunately, OFF didn't mean to shut down. 

Target Acquired. . . 

"Uh-oh."

Preparing to fire:

" This is bad."

Helga held on tightly to the gun and as it fired a beam of whatever, it hit a nearby lamppost. Helga opened her eyes and found it was a little darker than before. She blinked numerous times. The lamppost was gone.

" Oh boy. Not good."

Helga looked down at the object in her hand. She was about to throw it away when a few pieces of paper caught her eye. She picked them up and reading carefully noted it was for the foreign thing in her hand.

" Frequency Time Object Displacer-NERCO X Gamma."

It was a device, all thought cruelly one, that switch objects in time. She grinned. It may have been unbelievable, but it was in her hands, and she'd just done it. So, why not keep it for fun? Better her have it, than some dumb idiot who'd probably find it and it destroying half the neighborhood. 

" Helga, my dear, you have just been placed in a cheap Sci-fi flick."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End p1~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope it interests you. I promise the other chapters will be more interesting and lot better. Hehe, so tell me what you think. Any _constructive _criticism would be nice. Thanks everyone! 

^ . ~


	2. Late

Thank you for the reviews! I really appreciate it, and glad you guys like it! I'll try to make it really long, but I don't want to bore you people out there! I'm surprised no one has done this Idea! Ok 'nuff blab. 

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue!

(Chapter) 2: Late

The neighborhood didn't look in such top condition as he remembered. Maybe it was just the shadows? As he looked upon the brownstones and flats, his fears were answered. The buildings were falling apart. The boy began to run through the town. The closer he got to the park, the more miserable the town looked. As he got to the park, he called for anyone.

"Hello! Anybody here?"

A faint laughing. 

He went deeper into the park, going off the pathway. He could still here the laughing. A happy type, not a maniacal type. As he reached the end of the path, he saw a lake. A small one. It was beautifully light by the moon. As the boy got closer, he was a person dancing on the lake. A _girl_ dancing _on_ the lake. 

' This is getting strange.'

The girl stopped dancing on the lake as she turned to face the boy. She smiled and giggled. She was who was laughing. Her dress bellowed around her as she began to step towards him.

" I was waiting for you Arnold." Her voice sweet.

" You were?" 

"Of course, silly." She smiled.

Arnold wasn't sure about this. He felt he should know her, but couldn't place her. . familiarity. She had golden blond hair, in low drooping pigtails. Her fluffy bangs waved ever so slightly in the wind. Her thin eyebrows brought out her soft blue eyes. 

' Nah, it couldn't be.'

The girl walked up to the boy. She was a head taller than he was. She brought her hand to the sides of his face, cupping him in her hands. She glided down and leaned in to kiss him. 

" Wait." Arnold moved away from her kiss. 

" Why, Arnold. It's me." She looked a little hurt.

Arnold looked at the girl, his expression seeming to ask 'who?'

" It's me Arnold. It's H-"

"HEY ARNOLD. HEY ARNOLD. HEY ARN-"

Arnold woke up with a start and hit his alarm off. That dream had been so real. It was very nerve wracking. And who was that girl! Deciding to put it out of his mind, Arnold went down to get his breakfast. None of the other boarders were up, thankfully, save his grandparents. He went into the kitchen to see what there was to eat. Gertie, or grandma, was making French toast and Phil, grandpa, was sitting at the table.

" Mornin' Short-man."

" Morning Grandpa." 

Arnold went over to the refrigerator and poured himself a glass of Orange juice. He sat down at the table as Grandma put a plate of French toast in front of him.

" Eat up, Kimba. You need your strength today."

" Thanks Grandma."

"What's up Short-man, you seem a little glum. Have some kinda bad dream?"

" Well, not really bad, weird really."

It was always uncanny how Grandpa seemed to be ahead of him with the whole story.

" So, what happen?"

" I was in the neighborhood, but it was wasting away. I ran to the park trying to find someone, and then I heard laughing. As I got closer to the laughter, I found a lake in the middle of the park."

"Interesting."

" After a moment, I saw someone dancing on the lake, and it was a girl. I felt I knew who she was, but didn't."

"Really? What did she look like?"

" Well, she had blond hair, blue eyes,-"

" This isn't, by any chance, your friend with the one eyebrow is it?"

Arnold did a double take. The girl _did_ look like Helga, but there were differences. And there was just no way, not when the girl was going to **kiss** him.

" She did kinda look like Helga, but I don't think it was her."

" Hmm, well, I don't know what to tell ya Arnold. Dreams are very hard to understand sometimes."

" Yeah. Thanks anyway Grandpa."

Arnold finished up his breakfast, went upstairs and got ready for school.

" Okay class, today you start your projects. If you just move your desks to sit with your partner, and get started. You can have the rest of class time to work." Mr. Simmons instructed. Once everyone was situated, the class began to work diligently. 

" I'll tell you more about it later Pheebs." Helga said as she left her friend's desk.

Helga had the object in her backpack and had shown it to Phoebe during recess. Phoebe was in awe of it. Helga had read the papers on the ground she had found, and they explained how it needed to be worked. She figured the crazy guy was going to burn the instructions, the way he was talking. Helga had even found out how to move organic materials through the Time Frequency thingy. Would it be so wrong if maybe Lila was gone for a day or two? She grinned to herself.

" Hey, Arnoldo."

" Hi Helga." He said, not looking up.

Arnold still felt weird out a little by his dream. Helga noticed his unease.

" What wrong with you?"

" Uh nothing, just a dream. So I was thinking of doing a project on Archeology. Dose that sound good?"

" Sure." Helga nodded, putting her feet on the side of her desk. " What kind of dream?"

" A weird one. Why?"

" Hey, just trying to get you to relax bucko. Geez."

" Sorry, it's just. .-"

" Yeah?"

" Embarrassing." 

Arnold looked up for a moment to find Helga grinning. 

__

' It's me.' 

Arnold snapped out of his trance. The girl had just appeared in his head again. 

" I think I need a drink. I'll be right back."

" Yeah, yeah. Go ahead." Helga waved her hand towards the door, and grabbed up a book Arnold had brought for their project. 

' I think I'm losing it.' He thought to himself. 

Class had gone relatively well the rest of the day. Arnold and Helga didn't fight very much, give or take a few remarks on their behalf, but they had gotten along well. Arnold, for one was happy to see Helga's nice side again. Helga herself was in pure awe of herself. All the other previous times, she couldn't handle being nice to him for more than a few seconds, and now, she had been nice the entire day; she had even been nice to him when they were in lunch. Helga thought maybe something was wrong, but denounced the idea. She was simply getting better at being herself. It made her feel good.

When school was over, Arnold went to find Gerald.

" Hey Gerald."

" Hey man." 

They did their secret handshake.

"So how is your project going with 'Horrible Helga'?"

" It's actually not that bad. She's been nice to me all day. . . did you just say 

'Horrible Helga'?"

" Yeah, I made it up. Kinda has a ring to it, don't cha think?"

Arnold sighed. 

" How's your project with Phoebe going?"

" Great man! The girl knows what she doing, more so than I do." Gerald grinned.

They boarded their bus, and sat down in their usual seat. Phoebe and Helga got on not long after them and sat behind the boys. 

" So, how much of the project to you have done Helga?"

" We have what we're going to write about, we just need to write it. Also, we have some pictures were going to show. You?"

" I'm almost finished."

" Crimaney, Pheebs, it's not even due till the end of next week."

" I know, I just wanted to get a head start."

Helga chuckled.

" You've got plenty of that Pheebs."

After a few moments, Arnold turned and peered his head over the back of his seat.

" What do you want, Football-Head?" Helga said, only without much hostility.

" Are you doing anything tonight?"

Helga raised her brow, in a questioning look.

" No, why?"

" I was thinking I could come over to your house so we could work on the project."

" I don't think so."

" Why not?"

" I don't think Bob will be wanting your company. 'Alfred'." Helga grinned.

Arnold knew what Helga was saying to be true. Bob Pataki didn't very much care for him, of course, Arnold didn't think to highly of 'Big' Bob either. 

" Well then why don't you see about coming over to my house?"

" Sure, that's not a problem. I'll just come on over around seven. Sound good?"

" Great! Make sure to bring any books you might have with Archeology."

Arnold turned back in his seat and continued to talk to Gerald. Phoebe looked to Helga in awe. She leaned into Helga and whispered to her.

" Helga, how in the world were you able to do that?!"

" Do what?"

" Carry on a _normal_ conversation with Arnold?"

" Oh that. You know Pheebs, I really don't know."

As the bus slowed to a stop, the two girls got up, along with the other kids at the stop and got off. Helga then explained to Phoebe the entire events that unfolded today in school, and how she had acted. Phoebe was just as amazed as Helga was with herself. After a while, they came to Phoebe's home and she bid her friend evening. Helga walked home contemplating what she would do in the hours before meeting with Arnold. She also wondered what she'd do while she was with Arnold. Would she still be able to be nice like she had been? 

" I'm home." Helga called as she closed the door. " Not that you care." She muttered under her breath.

" Yeah yeah, Olga, there's some dinner for you in the kitchen."

" Helga, Bob Hel-. . .wait, dinner? This I gotta see." She said fleetingly.

' A piece of stale bread? A left of lettuce? Maybe even a carrot stick. Nah, that's wishful thinking.' Helga thought as she entered the kitchen. But there was an actual decent plate of food in the kitchen. A cold chicken leg, a spoon of mashed potatoes and half a roll. 

" Well, if today isn't my lucky day." 

Helga removed the plate off the table, away from her passed out mother, and up to her room. She watched a little TV and ate the meal. When she looked back to her clock, she still had and hour to kill.

" Crimaney, this is getting boring."

The thought for a moment, then grinned. Reaching for her backpack, she took out the 'phase blaster', as she so called it, and went outside with some other books in hand.

" I'll be back later." She called going out the door.

" Don't get run over." Bob yelled out to the already gone Helga.

She began to walk around town, ducking into allies and trying out the blaster. A few times she'd walk into a store, blast a comic, walk out, blast it back, read it, then repeat the process to put the item back into the store. It wasn't stealing. She did return the item. Besides, how would they find the item? She laughed in delight.

" This is great! I can take anything I want, without paying for it, then return it when I'm done. Well, you can't return soda." She finished off a yahoo, then threw it away. 

" Ehh, I'll just donate some money to those charity thingies next time I go in." 

Helga started walking her way towards Arnold's house. She did and didn't want him knowing about the blaster. On one hand, it'd be a good thing, on the other, if he found out what she did use it for, he'd give her a long boring lecture. She grinned at the thought.

" Now Helga, you know that's wrong." 

" Oh, but Arnold."

" No 'buts' Helga"

" Hah ha ha."

Helga laughed as she played the conversation to herself. She felt herself in a chipper mood.

" Thank you ever so much Arnold. That was very nice of you."

Well, was in a chipper mood.

" You're welcome Lila. Anytime."

Helga jumped sideways into an ally. The ally that just happed to be next to Sunset Arms.

" Lila." Helga said in a scowl. She still did not care for the girl in the least bit. At least when she was _near_ Arnold.

" I'm glad you weren't busy, and were able to help me. It was just ever so sweet of you."

" _'It was ever so sweet of you.'_" Helga mocked. " Gag. Me."

Arnold blushed lightly, with a flash of a dumb grin on his face.

" Sure."

Helga clinched her fists but stopped, realizing she held her blaster in one hand. A wicked smile played on her lips. 

" Heh, heh, he."

The two were across the street of the boarding house, talking. Helga, in the meantime, was setting the blaster.

" Let's see. ORG for Organic. Year 2023. Heh heh, and finally, R. Have to return her sometime." She rolled her eyes. 

ORG/2023/R flashed on the LED screen inside the compartment. She shut it as the LED screen on the out read: Initializing . . . Scanning frequency . . .

Lock Target:

Helga aimed it at Lila.

" Would you like to come in for awhile?"

" That's really sweet Arnold, but I have to go home now."

" I could walk you."

" That's okay. You've helped enough today."

" But I-"

Arnold got a glimpse of something shining in the glass of the building behind Lila. Her turned around and could make out a figure of a person in the ally. As he looked closer, her saw. . 

" Helga!"

" What?" Lila looked on.

Helga stepped slightly out of the shadows and had it aimed at Lila. Arnold, seeing the 'blaster' thought it was a water gun, but still did not like what Helga was going to do.

" You're just going to experience the future Lila. Just for a day or two."

" I'm oh so certain I have no idea what you're talking about!"

" Helga, put down the water gun!" Arnold said.

Frequency Target Match. Powering . . .

" Have fun Lila!"

The Frequency Time Object Displacer (FTOD) powered up with a low humming.

" Helga, Stop!"

Arnold ran at her and grabbed her hands. 

" You don't know what you're dealing with Football-head!"

The two struggled to keep a hold of the blaster. Helga thought she still had it on Lila as it fired off, but it had been knocked way off by Arnold's interference. The beam hit the glass behind Lila and bounced off, coming right back at the two blondes. As Lila watched, one minute the two were there, the next they both were gone. All that was left in their place was the blaster, humming quietly. 


	3. Dollars

****

OK! Chapter 3! Yay! I'm so so sorry for such the delay! GOMEN! Well, I'm very glad you guys are liking this! Thanks for sticking by! Like I said before, if you'd like pictures that I've done for this fic, email me and I'll try to get them in ASAP. ON with the FIC!

This chapter deals with( the start of) a true problem in life. I think the rating I chose it suitable to this story, but may go up with the next chapter. Thank you.

Disclaimer: Don't own Hey Arnold. Getting no money off this. sniffle

(Chapter) 3: Dollars

The world had gone spinning, then had gone black. The eerie stillness of the evening woke the girl up. One moment, she'd been perfectly fine, the next she was out like a light. She decided to get up and take a walk. Maybe that would help her clear her mind. 

" Oh, I feel like I was on the tilt an whirl, gone terribly wrong." Helga had been out for what seemed like a long time, but was really only out for ten minutes. She usually had no qualms about fast trips or being shook around so much, but that was unlike an experience she'd ever had. She looked around her as her vision got less fuzzy. Helga recognized it as their neighborhood, but something was different; something was terribly different. 

" Arnold?" She asked as she started at the city in awe.

No response.

" Arnold?"

Helga turned her head, but there was no boy. She got up and looked all around her, but still no blond haired Football-head. 

" Great. Figures I'd get stranded in a strange place, with my love, only not _with_ my love. Now I have to find him. God, he better be okay." Her face got one of its rare, in public, worried looks as she began down the sidewalk. 

Everything seemed so familiar, but so drably. It was haunting almost. She tired to recall the events that had happened early. She was in an ally. The ally next to Sunset Arms. She saw Arnold with _Lila_. 

" Oh, no."

It dawned on her. She and Arnold had been the victims in her mad little plot to get rid of Lila for a few days. Instead of her sending Lila to this place, herself and Arnold had been sent. However, try as she might, she couldn't remember where she had plotted to send Ms. Perfect. As she continued to walk down the streets, taking subconscious lefts and rights, she began to feel more freaked out. She knew where she was going, but how? She was looking at all the stores along the way. Lots of building condemned, some torn down, in the process of being torn down, you name it. She stopped, taking it all in until she saw something that made her heart pump faster than before. 

P.S. 118 was condemned. Boards on the windows, paint far-gone, bricks looking shabby, it was a total mess. Helga felt something wash over her, which she only felt on rare occasions: fear. Her eyes threatened to tear up, and her legs felt like giving out. She turned and began to run in the opposite direction to avoid the sensations, but was stopped quickly as she ran into someone.

" Ohmp."

"Agh."

Helga got up and shook her head. Most of her fears drained away as she saw the boy whom she had collided with. 

" Arnold! Uh, . . Ha, so there you are Football-head. It's about time I found you." Helga said as she got up. 

However, the boy was not as happy to see her.

" Who are you calling Football-head, Bucko! And who are you for that matter?"

Came the voice of a not too please 9-year-old boy. 

Helga did a double take. The boy was a head shorter that her. His hair was a golden blond, which was slicked back behind his 'football-shaped' head. His eyes looked like a greenish-blue and didn't have a very soft look to them. His clothes were very different. He had a black fake leather jacket that came down to his hips, and he had on somewhat baggy blue jeans, which was partially covered by the jacket. If this boy had one phrase to sum up him, it was: Leave me alone, or regret it.

" Helga. Uh, I'm new." She covered. " Who are you?" 

" Why should I tell you?" 

" Cause I told you who I was, now spill." She was getting annoyed at this kid fast. Who'd he think he was?!

" Aaron, and it would be best if you stayed out of my way." He said as he pushed her aside to get by. 

Helga didn't take too kindly to that. She whirled around and grabbed the boy, swung him in front of her and stared him down.

" Listen geek-bait, nobody pushes me around!"

" Nobody until today, Uni." she smarted, pushing her back a little. 

Helga fumed. No one was ever brave, or stupid enough to ever insult Helga G. Pataki. With out thinking she clenched a fist and punched the kid in the jaw. So what if he looked almost identical to her sweet dove; no one said such things to her. However, the minute she punched him, she regretted it. She was lashing out to a smart-alec stranger. The boy looked up at her from where he had been put on the ground. He looked furious. He got up and looked about ready to hit back, when he clamed, and looked at her. 

" No one's ever had the guts to hit me before. Especially a girl."

" No one's ever had the guts to cross me." She eyed him.

The boy held out his hand.

" As I said, name's Aaron. And your Helga?"

" Yep." She said, taking his hand. 

An odd since of trust forming from there contact.

" So, why exactly did you call me 'Football-head'?"

" Well, besides the obvious, my friend that I seem to have parted with looks a lot like you. Have you heard of an Arnold by any chance?"

" No, can't say I have."

" Well, do you think you could help me look around the city?"

" Sure, no prob."

They began walking and talking a bit. Aaron looked up to Helga and gave a small smile and chuckled. Little did she know that was a rare thing from him.

" What's so funny?" She remonstrated.

" Ah, you just remind me of someone."

" Who?"

" My sister."

The feeling of having one's stomach turned upside down, then spun at such a fast rate, made Arnold feel like he'd never recover from the sickness. When the boy came to, his vision was blurry from his dizzy state. As his eyesight cleared, he surveyed his resting spot. The last thing he remembered, he was near his home, with Lila across the street and him trying to get a water gun out of Helga's hands. He looked around him.

' Where is Helga anyway?'

Arnold got up and looked around at the buildings. They all looked familiar. All of them were falling apart, and most of them where condemned. He walked for a while to see if his suspicions were true. If they were, he'd find a park not to far from where he was.

The trees were a healthy green, the water of the lakes were clear and cool, and the grass was free of any trash. The park in the city had been untouched from development for the years it existed. The only sign of development were benches, the lights, and a path that cut through the park. The lights were on since the night was upon the city. No one was in the park, except one lone figure. The figure sighed and jumped off the bench, running. 

Arnold was half way through the park when he heard footsteps. Footsteps of someone running his way. He couldn't see where the person was coming from, but knew if he didn't move. . 

Too Late.

"Ahg!"

"Oh!"

Someone had collided with the boy.

Arnold looked up into the sky. He wondered how he always ended up on the ground after collisions. As he leaned up, he saw that the person was a girl. She had blonde hair, with two dropping pigtails, the flash of a scowl. Well, at least one question was answered. 

" Helga! Sorry for running into you."

" No, I'm sorry, I ran into you."

He grabbed her hand. Wait a minute? Did she just say 'Sorry'? Arnold look at her closer. She had on a pink top, but a white skirt. Her eyes were an aqua blue and she had no unibrow. 

" I'm sorry, but my name's not Helga."

" I'm sorry, you just reminded me of her."

" Are we sorry about being sorry now?" She grinned, then started at him.

" Yeah. . .uhm, is something wrong?"

" Oh! No, you just reminded me of someone too."

Arnold and the girl walk out of the park and towards an unknown destination. He had felt it was ok to explain to her the predicament he was in. He felt he could trust her, put his confidence in her. In turn, she did the same. She told him many things that had her bothered lately, including her brother's recent actions. Something she couldn't understand. Not to long ago, she remembered him running away in the rain. She knew he was afraid their parents would do something horrible to him. She had chased after him, in hopes of changing his mind, but to know avail. 

" Wow."

" Yeah. I just don't know. He hardly ever show the real him anymore."

" My friend is like that. She only brings her defenses down occasionally."

They stopped in front of an old long condemned building. The windows were boarded up, the paint hardly recognizable, and it looked like it would give away. Arnold stared at the building in terror. His stomach made him want to throw up, but he was also so in disbelief. 

" It's a shame."

" My. . home." Arnold choked out. 

The girl turned in surprise.

" You never said the name of the place you lived was the Sunset Arms."

" What happen to the people that lived here, Hikari?"

The girl, Hikari, looked back at the building.

" They moved out along time ago. I don't really remember what happened to them. I was too young to remember."

" You met them?"

" When I was really tiny." She smiled.

They continued their walk until another familiar building was coming into Arnold's view. He didn't want to know the sorry state this one was going to be in to. Fortunate, as Arnold hoped this, he no more than collided with another moving object.

" Ohff!"

"Agh!"

" Hikari!"

" Aaron!"

Helga got up and shook her head. 

" Arnold!"

As Arnold came to her leaned up and gave a mellow:

" Hey Helga."

" I've been looking all over for you Football-head!"

At that moment, Aaron turned to see whom this 'Arnold' guy was that Helga seemed to have a thing for. Of course she hadn't said anything like that, he was able to figure it out on his own. However, he didn't seem to take much of a liking to him.

" So your this 'Arnold'?"  
Arnold stared at Aaron. Now he could see why Hikari thought he reminded her of her brother. He looked a lot like him. 

" Yeah. Nice to meat you." Arnold extended his hand.

" Likewise." Aaron replied unenthusiastically, not returning the gesture.

Arnold took back his hand. He could tell this Aaron kid wasn't going to be the easiest person to get along with.

" So Arnoldo, just how the heck are we going to get home? I haven't seen hide nor hair of my house, much like I care." Helga stated.

Arnold just pointed across the street. The brown flat stone was in a sad state. The building was otiose and devoid of life. Board were put over all the windows and some boards were on the door. However, it looked as though someone had pried some flanks off the doorway, and using it as a home. 

" Oh, my." 

" This is your house?" Hikari looked at the girl. 

" Well. . it was." Helga suddenly felt scared. She had been ever since getting to the awful place, but now, she was almost terrified. At least she had known she had a home and family to go home to, regardless of her being ignored. But now, she had nothing. Arnold seemed to have picked up on this, because he saw the look in her eye. The scared, sweet, innocent girl that he'd every so seldom see in Helga, before she masked her away. He walked over to her, gently taking her hand. Helga didn't look back, but she squeezed back slightly. 

Aaron didn't like this at all. He turned back from the house to see the two, and felt something he didn't like. Aaron shoved past Hikari and grabbed Arnold's shirt, pulling him close until their noses touched. Helga turned back to see what was going on, still a little shocked at the events playing before her. Aaron narrowed his eyes.

" I don't like you. What so great about you anyway, hiretsukan?

" Aaron!" Hikari gasped. 

Never had she heard the boy call someone _that _to his or her face! 

" What do you mean?" Arnold asked, a little hesitantly.

" You're just a shinshi, a push-over."

" Aaron, stop it!"

" Iie, Onee-san!"

Hikari was getting scared. Aaron and her only used a lot of Japanese when he was angered or saddened. She could tell he was going to get hostile if she didn't do anything. With all her might, she forced both boys apart.

" Tomeru Shatei!" 

Arnold looked confused as Helga walked closer to him. Aaron looked stunned for on mere seconded then put up his front. Hikari looked mad but soon changed face and looked towards the two strangers. She smiled quickly.

" So, anyone hungry?"

The two nodded with small grins, but Helga was still worried and stunned by the sight of her home. Arnold was still a little shook up by what just happened, but was okay for now. Maybe later he would ask Hikari about the events that took place. Hikari smiled and was going to talk with her brother, but he turned and took off. He walked away without so much of a word. Hikari grew quiet. When they were younger, she had such a bond with him. Now she was afraid she was losing him. It hurt her deeply to see him shut everyone out. Even their own family.

" Baka Onee-san." 

The day turning to dusk. Every few moments a street lamp would flicker on and light up a lifeless part of street. Aaron had been walking for about twenty minutes. That is, after his almost fight with that 'Arnold' guy. Aaron could never get away with fighting in front of Hikari; not once had he been able to trick her into thinking he got bruised from falling or tripping. He could fool his dad quiet a few times, and sometimes even his mother; though she seemed to know the truth; but never Hikari. Damn her! 

" Aaron! Hey man what's it?"

" Hey Daemon, it's cool."

Aaron felt a lot of stress fall off his shoulders as he met his friend. They looked around before walking into a near by ally. It was deserted except for one other person.

" Hey AA. Cool all that?"

" Hey, Luk. Upbeat."

The two other boys, whom were a bit taller than Aaron, leaned against the wall opposite him. The boy Luk, took out a pack of cigarettes and lit one, handing it to Daemon. He lit up another one and handed it to Aaron, but Aaron shook his head.

" You know I don't hook with that, Luk."

" Oh, right, right."

He put the rest away and looked onward.

" So you sure you're ok, man? I mean, you looked a bit bothered."

" Well, some new kids just came to town and one looks like me. I don't like him."

" Because he looks like you?" Luk looked at him.

" Not just that. It is unnerving. But this chick-"

"Oooo."

" Spill man."

Aaron looked at the two with a grin and half-lidded eyes. 

" Total Siren."

The boys jaws dropped.

" Now way!"

" Nu-uh!" 

" Yeah. She was with the guy. I met her before him, but she told me a few things about him. I know she has it bad for him."

" Oh, does he know?"

" Not a clue." Aaron grinned.

" Your not gonna-"

" Yes."

The two other boys looked at him amused.

" Well. So, you up for some?"

Their conversation just stopped from kid like musings, to something all together serious. 

" Yeah."

All three boys huddled close to each other. As they did, they each took out a few bucks.

" Ok, Luk has five, and, you got three?"

" I'm a little tight this week."

" A'ight, no big."

Daemon pocketed the money and then pulled out a plastic bag. The bag had a bunch of cotton balls in to but as he dug into it, he pulled out three small blue things. They looked like pills. He gave two to Luk and one to Aaron. They were about the size of a Tylenol and in a capsule like form. 

" Remember to break open the false capsule."

" Yeah, yeah." 

Aaron shifted the contents of the pill into one side and broke open the capsule, pitching it away. He then began to empty to blue powdery substance on the end of his tongue. He choked for a few moments as the substance dissolved in his mouth. The boys bid their farewells, and soon they all left on their ways. After a few moments, the substance kicked in and Aaron felt his body relax and his dreams take control.


End file.
